Shadows of the Solos
by clockworkbethyl
Summary: Rey has been a foster child all her life, living only at overcrowded group homes-until Luke Skywalker decides to be the first person to foster her. Luke enrolls Rey at Star Killer Highschool, where he teaches, and Rey instantly makes friends. Everything is going well until she shows up to Astronomy class and meets the infamous Ben Solo, who turns her life into a whirlwind adventure
1. I'm Ben Solo

"Rey! You're going to be late for your first day!"

Rey exhaled nervously and checked her outfit in the floor length mirror before pounding down the stairs. Rey was thankful that she didn't have to wear a uniform at her new school, but she knew her outfit wasn't exactly 'in-style'. Her beige skirt fitted loosely at her hips, and the previously-owned striped sweater hugged too tightly at her chest, but Rey didn't mind. She was too excited to start her first day at Star Killer High, the first real school she'd ever attended.

Rey walked into the kitchen, patting her cat BB-8 lightly on the head before picking up an apple and biting into its delicious red skin.

"I should have made you a warm breakfast," Rey heard her foster-father, Luke, say as he strolled into the kitchen. He poured his coffee into his travel mug and turned to give Rey a goofy grin. "Ready to hit the books my young _padawan_?"

"Luke," Rey giggled. "You know I don't read the same old, musty textbooks as you do, right? I have no idea what that means!"

"Expand your vocabulary my dear!" Luke replied, shoving pens into his messenger bag. "But in all seriousness, we should head out. We both can't be late."

Rey nodded and picked up her identical tan messenger bag. The bag was formally used as another suitcase between the various foster group homes that she was sent to, but now it was really going to be used at a _school_. Rey smiled at the image of herself strutting through the halls, surrounded by friends and giggling like there was no tomorrow.

She was pulled out of her daydream with the sound of Luke honking the horn of his dark green Toyota. Although she had only known him for a couple of weeks now, one of the first things she picked up about him was how proud he was of his car. He always boasted about how even though he was on a teacher's salary he could have nice things.

Rey walked out the front door and up to his car. Sliding into the passenger seat, she changed the radio station before buckling herself in, and Luke backed out of the driveway and embarked upon the journey to school.

"Any words of advice on how to survive sophomore year?" Rey asked Luke as they pulled into the 'Teacher's Only' parking lot.

Luke scrunched his nose up, deep in thought. "Well you're starting the first day of your second semester of sophomore year, meaning you're almost a junior! Which is crazy close to senior year and graduating! Oh my, and then there's college!"

"Luke!" Rey started giggling in her seat. "I'm serious!"

Luke smiled warmly at her. "All I'm trying to say is, don't let it go by too quickly. I know this is your first time being in a private school system, and not the rubbish teachers that taught at the foster homes you were at. It's different, but you'll really like it, and if you don't make any friends today, don't hesitate to come and eat lunch with me in the Psychology classroom."

"Thanks, Luke." Rey said, a genuine smile on her lips.

They got out of the car and walked in the large gray building. Luke stopped and turned to Rey. He hugged her strongly before releasing her, then handed her a piece of paper with class names and room numbers printed largely on it. "Have a great day!"

"You too!" Rey said, before waving one last time and heading towards the staircase that was marked with a large 'A'. Her class list said that she had Calculus first period, which, according to the list, was on floor A. She ascended the stairs, and turned towards the door that matched the number on her sheet. Rey inhaled, and stepped into the classroom.

Twenty pairs of eyes were on her immediately. Rey tried to smile at everyone, but she only received glares in respond. Quietly, she went up to the teacher's desk and introduced herself. The teacher seemed to be the only person in the room capable of showing her a sliver of kindness. The woman pointed to Rey's seat, and Rey thanked her before sliding into the empty desk in the very back of the room.

Overhead, the first bell rang and class begun. Rey took out her pencils and color-coded binders. She beamed up at the teacher, waiting for the woman to notice her superb organizational skills.

"Hello class!" Boomed the teacher. Rey examined her wild red hair which was in two thick braids, trailing all the way down her body, only stopping short of her waist. "I'm Mrs. Tano, and I'll be your advanced placement calculus teacher for the rest of your school year."

"To begin, let's go around and everybody can introduce themselves!" Mrs. Tano exclaimed. Rey smiled at Mrs. Tano, thankful for her happy energy.

She looked over at Rey, and pointed directly at her. "Why don't you start us off, honey?"

Rey swallowed, her mouth suddenly feeling very dry. All eyes in the room were turned to face her, and she could feel her face heating up.

"Hi," Rey said slowly, her accent booming out of her voice. "My name is Rey, and I just transferred here, so this is actually my first day at Star Killer High."

"Wonderful!" Mrs. Tano beamed at Rey. "Where are you from? I noticed your accent. Is it British?"

"Something like that," Rey replied swiftly. Mrs. Tano nodded her head and turned to her next victim.

"How about you next?" Mrs. Tano directed her voice at the boy in front of Rey who was slumped over his desk sleeping. The whole class let out a laugh when the boy didn't wake-up.

"The first day of the new semester and Finn is already sleeping!" Shouted a boy from across the room, which sent out another ripple of laughter throughout the class.

"Settle down, settle down please." Called Mrs. Tano. "Rey, would you please wake Mr. Finn up please?"

Rey nodded, leaning forwards to jab her finger into the tan leather of Finn's jacket. He jumped, taking a moment to adjust himself to the room. "Hey! What the he-," Finn began, but stopped when turned and saw Rey staring wide-eyed at him.

"You were sleeping." Rey said apologetically.

"I guess so," Finn replied, still staring intently at Rey.

"Mr. Finn, if you'd like to introduce yourself please?" Mrs. Tano asked, a hint of annoyance in her voice.

"M'sure," Finn replied and went on to tell a very detailed story of himself, which received another large round of laughs from the class.

As the rest of the class went on to introduce themselves, Finn turned around and strummed his fingers on Rey's desk.

"Could you stop that? It's bothering me." Rey said.

Finn laughed. "Alright. Rey was it?" She nodded. "You don't look familiar. Have we met before?"

Rey snorted. "If you would have actually paid attention during introductions rather than sleep, you would know that this is my first day here."

Finn's dark brown eyes lit up. "I can show you around if you'd like."

"I'm fine-," Rey began, but stopped. She remembered that she actually had no idea where she was going after this, and could use help getting to her next class.

"Actually that'd be nice. Thank you." Rey said.

"Great!" Finn said beaming.

For the rest of class they talked, and Rey quickly grew too really like Finn. By the time the second bell rang, they were laughing like old friends.

"Let me see your class list," Finn said, putting his hand out. Rey handed him her list and waited until he located her second period class, Astronomy.

"HOW DID YOU GET ASTRONOMY?" Finn asked, his voice bouncing off the walls in the hallway.

"I didn't ask for it. They just put it on my class list." Rey said, snatching the list from Finn.

"Incredible." Finn said in awe as they kept walking. "I've been trying to get into that class since freshman year! It's so popular that they have a waiting list. You practically have to wait until your senior year to take that class!"

Rey nervously brushed her fingers through her shoulder length brown hair. She didn't like the idea of being in a class full of seniors. "So this is a good thing?" Rey asked instead of voicing her anxiety.

"I'M SO JEALOUS OF YOU!" Finn shouted in reply.

Rey laughed, and tried to ignore her uncertainty for the rest of their walk to the room.

When they reached the large astronomy room, Finn handed Rey a piece of paper with numbers scrolled across it.

"That's my number, give me a ring when you're on your way to the cafeteria and we can sit together." Finn said, smiling wide. Rey nodded, and thanked him for all his help.

"I'll see you at lunch then!" Rey called at Finn as he walked to his own classroom.

Rey opened the classroom door and stumbled inside. It was pitch black, with only a dim light coming from the ceiling. Rey looked up at the source, to find the planets dancing across the ceiling. She took in the beauty of all of them, appreciating how the projection allowed them to glide around. Rey moved to find a seat in the auditorium-like room. She turned into a row, and felt in front of her for a seat. Rey removed her bag and let it fall to the floor, then sat herself into what she thought was a seat until she heart an 'umph' come from behind her.

"You're uh-sitting on me," she heard a guy's low voice from behind her say.

"Oh my," Rey jumped up. "I'm so sorry!"

There was a low chuckle and then the voice replied, "Its fine."

Rey fumbled for the phone that Luke had bought for her, and illuminated the screen to use as a flashlight. She held it low, so it would not shine in the strangers face, and used it to slide into the empty seat next to him.

"Is this better?" Rey asked in a feeble attempt at a joke.

"Much," the stranger said, his voice enticing Rey to keep the conversation going.

"I'm Rey," she said quickly, her eyes immediately rolling at the shrill sound her voice had just made. "I'm sorry, truly."

"I'm Ben Solo." He replied, his voice giving Rey goose bumps. The words flowed from his mouth with such an elegant ease that made Rey intrigued.

It was quiet for some time, until suddenly the projected planets became brighter and brighter, filling the room with more light. Rey dared herself to glance over at the mysterious face of Ben Solo, but resisted.

Their teacher introduced himself, and announced that he would be playing a video on the basics of space for the rest of class. Rey let herself relax slightly, and finally turned to sneak a look at Ben Solo. As she turned her head, she realized that he was already watching her.

"Sorry," he said, clearly slightly embarrassed that she caught him watching her.

She was about to say that it was fine, until she fully realized his appearance. He was so handsome, with a long structured nose and perfectly full eyebrows. She noticed that he was lightly biting his full bottom lip. She allowed herself to take in the shape of his jawline, and his wonderfully tussled black hair. His eyes were the most untainted brown she had ever seen, and they were fixed on her.

She tried to speak, but her voice was caught in her throat. "I guess it's my turn to say sorry. Again."

He smiled softly, keeping his lips pressed together to not reveal any teeth. "I guess so."

 _Oh God,_ Rey thought to herself. She wiped the sweat off her palms onto her skirt, and tried to focus on the video playing. Rey couldn't help but feel like he was still staring, the weight of his gaze crushing her more and more every minute that she didn't turn to meet it.

"Are you a senior then?" Ben Solo asked, his question light but still hitting Rey harder than she wanted it to. She debated lying and saying that she was in fact older than her actual age, but Luke always told her that lying never solved anything.

"No," Rey began, turning to face him. "I just transferred here. Today's my first day actually."

Ben narrowed his eyes, clearly aware that she went around his question centered at finding out how old she was. "I'm sorry you had to transfer to this sad excuse of a school."

 _I'm not,_ Rey thought, but kept that to herself and simply shrugged instead. "I'm just glad to be going to a real school."

Ben stared at her. "Are you a previous homeschooler?"

Rey swallowed. "Not exactly. I'm a foster kid." She said quietly. "I'm used to the true 'sad excuses of a school' that the group homes offered. My new foster family, which is actually the first family I've ever had, was kind enough to send me to this school."

Ben Solo just continued to stare at her. Rey felt her face flush with embarrassment. She didn't know why she just revealed her life story to a boy she met less than an hour ago.

It was quiet for the rest of class, and Rey was furious by the time the bell rang. How could he just sit there and not say anything after Rey told him something extremely important? She rose to her feet and let the auditorium chair slam against its backing as she grabbed her bag and stormed out of the room. She was one foot out of the doorway when she heard him call her name. Rey contemplated not turning around and pretending as if she hadn't heard him, but against her better judgement she spun around, her hands clenched in fists at her side.

"Rey." Ben Solo breathed as he moved to stand right in front of her. "Do you dance?"

"Excuse me?" Rey spluttered, her eyes moving up and down his towering figure.

"Dancing? You know, with your feet?"

"Are you serious?" She couldn't believe this.

"Very much so," he responded.

"Well, not really." Rey answered flatly.

"Great," Ben responded. He reached out his hand to Rey, and she took the piece of paper that was formerly in his grasp. "A friend of mine is throwing a 'half-way through senior year' party. Care to join me?"

"I-I, uh, why did you ask if I dance?"

"Because I don't. And I want to make sure you won't try to force me into awkwardly flailing my limbs to music that is too loud and too predictable."

She just stared at him, a myriad of emotions coursed through her.

"The address is on that paper," Ben nudged his heard towards Rey's hand. "I hope to see you there, Rey."

And with that he stalked out of the room.


	2. You Belong with us

Rey watched him leave. She never knew that she could dislike and like someone so much at the same time. The lights in the room slowly were starting to get brighter, and Rey reached for her cellphone and dialed the number that Finn had given her earlier.

"2, 1, 8, 7," Rey mumbled to herself as she finished inputting the number in her phone. She hit the green call button and pressed the phone to her ear. One ring and then Finn's energetic voice sounded through the speaker.

" _Hellllloooo_?"

"Finn! It's me, Rey."

"Rey! I'm so glad you called I was just about to swing by the astronomy room and look for you. I'm _starving_."

Rey laughed, causing the remainder of the students in the classroom to glance over at her. "Trust me, I'm equally as hungry." As if on cue, her stomach grumbled in confirmation.

"Brilliant, I'll be there in a flash!"

Rey giggle again, and hung up the phone. She exited the room and went to lean against the parallel wall to wait for Finn. The dull gray hallway had a couple of scattered students but was mostly cleared. Although, Rey couldn't help but look for one exceptionally tall dark haired boy.

Finn turned the corner and spotted Rey immediately, jogging up to her with the widest grin on his face. He opened his mouth to say something but was interrupted by someone shouting his own name.

"FINN!" A boy yelled as he ran out of the room Rey had just been in. He was about the same height as Finn, with olive skin and soft scruff on his face. He had a mass of curly brown hair on his head, and Rey noticed that he was dressed similar to Finn.

"POE!" Finn shouted in excitement as he turned to embrace the boy-Poe-in his arms. They both started talking very fast at each other, and Rey just stared at them in amazement until Finn pointed to her.

"This is Rey!" Finn exclaimed, nudging her in the shoulder. "She's wickedly amazing."

Rey blushed and extended her hand to Poe, which he shook.

"Pleasure to meet you," Poe said with a grin plastered on his face.

"Same to you," Rey responded, smiling warmly at him. "Did you just come out of Astronomy?"

"Yup, I'm so glad I finally got that damn class on my schedule." He laughed and brushed imaginary dust off of his shoulders. "I guess it's just a senior privilege." He boasted, which caused Finn to stick out his tongue in mockery of him.

"Maybe next year buddy," Poe said to Finn.

"Well Rey's in that class, and she's not a senior." Finn retorted.

Poe raised his eyebrows at Rey who shrugged, "I didn't know it was a big deal."

"Oh it is," Poe assured her. "What are you? A junior?"

Rey swallowed, the embarrassment coming back. "Sophomore."

"What?!" Poe and Finn shouted in unison.

"Yeah," Rey admitted, fumbling with her hands.

"I just assumed since you were in AP Calculous that you were at least a junior like me." Finn said.

Rey could feel her face heating up. "I'm sorry I didn't mention it." The realization that the boys might not want to befriend her now that they knew she was younger set in, and Rey started to let her anxiety get the better of her.

"Hey, are you kidding? This is great!" Finn said suddenly, shocking Rey out of her almost-panic attack. "Now all we need is to find a freshman to complete the four levels of awesomeness that is our friend group."

Poe laughed and swung his arms around Rey and Finn. "Shut up, Finn. Guys I don't know about you, but I can't remember the last time I ate. Therefore I'm completely famished."

"To the cafeteria it is!" Finn grabbed their arms and started to sprint towards the end of the hallway.

An uncontrollable fit of giggles took over Rey's body. It felt so _good_ for her to finally have friends that made her feel like she belonged. A weight was lifted off her shoulders that she didn't even know was there. She let herself skip with Poe and Finn into the lunchroom, not caring about how many judging eyes were pinned on them. They weaved through the enormous lunch room and plopped down at an empty table.

"Is he always like this?" Rey asked Poe, directly her question towards Finn who was ravishing through his packed lunch.

"Only on the best of days," Poe replied with a grin. Rey nodded and pulled out her own lunch. Luke had packed her polka dotted lunch box full of her favorite foods, and Rey made a mental note to thank him next time she saw him.

The three of them spent the majority of the lunch hour sharing food and talking about their lives. Rey told them about Luke and the foster program, and they told her about how they met. Finn and Poe were neighbors their whole life and were practically brothers. Rey envied their close bond, but was hopeful that soon she would have something like that with the both of them.

"So where were you born?" Poe asked. "You just have such a beautiful accent."

Rey considered telling them that she was from England, like she did with everyone else, but she _wanted_ them to know.

"I'm not exactly sure where I was born." Rey said slowly. "I know that I grew up on Jakku, but that's about it."

Poe and Finn shared a look, and the Finn reached out to place a hand on Rey's arm. "I'm so sorry. If I could adopt you I would."

Rey laughed and smiled at Finn. "Thanks Finn, it means a lot."

"This sucks. Now I feel like I need to go and rescue hundreds of dogs." Poe blurted out, which erupted laughter between all three of them.

"What are you doing after school?" Finn asked Rey. "Poe and I were just going to watch movies, but we should all do something fun together."

"Actually," Rey began, the thoughts of Ben Solo and the invitation to the party resurfacing in her mind. "I was invited to a party." Rey pulled out the slip of paper that Ben had given her, and showed the boys.

They both read the address and stared dumbfounded at Rey. "Who invited you to a senior party?" Poe asked. "I barely even get invited to those, and I'm actually a senior!"

"This boy in our Astronomy class, Ben Solo." Rey responded shyly.

Finn choked on his pudding. "WHAT?!"

"Yeah…" Rey said, redness blooming in her cheeks. "I sort of sat on him-I mean sat next to him in Astronomy, and we got to talking. He was quite rude, but then asked me to go to this party."

"Rey, Ben Solo is a major badass. He's like-the person all the girls want to bang and all the boys want to call their best friend." Poe revealed, leaning forward onto the table. "You'll only ever see him in class, if he's actually there, and that's it."

"The dude's a legend." Finn added.

Rey's stomach dropped. There was no way a boy like Ben Solo would ever be interested in a sophomore like herself, who was something shy of a nobody.

"Well, should we go?" Rey asked timidly, secretly hoping they'd say no so she could save herself from embarrassment.

"Oh hell yes," Poe said with the agreement of Finn.

"This is coming to be awesome!" Finn exclaimed. "Rey where do you live? We will pick you up tonight for the party."

Rey texted Finn her address and played with her food until the bell rang again and lunch was over.


	3. You Can Run Away Screaming if you Want

"I have nothing to wear," Rey said to BB-8 as she ruffled through her closet looking for proper party attire. The cat meowed in response, causing Rey to gush with affection and move to pet him.

Rey had met Luke after school by the car. She had excitedly told him all about her day- meeting Finn, then Poe, and getting invited to the party. However she chose to leave out Ben Solo from the story, and instead said that it was Poe who invited her to the party. Luke seemed truly happy that Rey was making friends, and he easily agreed to let her go to the party with Finn and Poe.

Now, Rey was wishing he would have said no. She was more than stressed out about her lack of appropriate clothes, and she still had yet to tackle the daunting issue that was her hair.

After some serious debating, Rey took a deep breath and decided to work on her hair first. She combed out her shoulder-length brown locks and began to tie them into her favorite three bun hairdo. She then pulled a few pieces of hair out of the buns and let them fall down out to frame her face. Moving on, she plunged back into her dead-end of a closet. Rey pulled out tan leggings that stopped halfway down her calf, and a simple long-sleeved navy dress. She quickly dressed and tugged on her brown leather combat boots.

Rey glossed her lips with Chapstick and combed mascara onto her lashes. She stopped and stared at her reflection in the mirror. The girl who stared back at her looked strong and undeniably stunning. Rey couldn't help but smile at herself.

Her phone buzzed next to her, and Rey checked to see a new message from Finn saying that he was outside. Rey rushed down the steps, hugged Luke goodbye, and headed out the door.

"Be safe! Call me if you need anything!" Luke called after her.

"I will! Bye!"

Rey waved to Poe, who was positioned in the driver seat. Finn waved excitedly back at her, then, as if seeing her for the first time, let his mouth fall open slightly.

Rey opened the door of the black Lexus and slid into the backseat. She clicked her seatbelt into place when Finn turned around gawking at her.

"Y-you look incredible," he stammered.

"Thanks Finn!" Rey said cheerfully and Poe let the engine purr back to life.

"My God man, you always scare me when you drive." Finn said.

"Shut up, I can drive anything and do it one hundred percent better than you." Poe replied, reaching out his hand. Finn placed his cell phone in his open palm.

"Is this the address?" Poe asked Finn, who looked at Rey. She nodded.

"Yup!" Finn answered.

Poe put on the GPS and started towards the party.

It was packed. Cars lined up and down the wide newly-paved street. Rey could feel her palms grow sweaty with anticipation, and she wiped them on her dress. Poe slid into a parking spot, and Rey noticed he was actually a terrific driver by the way he parallel parked with ease.

The boys hopped out of the car, and Finn moved to swiftly open Rey's door for her.

"Milady," Finn said with a goofy grin.

Rey crinkled her nose at him and got out of the car. Poe was waiting for them on the sidewalk and Rey moved to intertwine her arms with Poe's and Finn's. Together, the three of them walked up the street and towards the gigantic glass house with all its lights on.

The music coming from the house was definitely electronic Rey noticed as she started up the pathway to the front door. Nobody seemed to notice that Finn and Rey actually _weren't_ seniors at this senior only party. Maybe it was because they were with Poe, who seemed to get hellos from everyone they passed. Whatever it was, Rey was just glad that the attention wasn't on her.

As they passed through the entrance Rey inhaled sharply. The house was beautiful. Whoever lived here were seriously well-off. From the enormous glass windows to the elegant furnishing, this house seemed like something straight out of a movie. The walls were covered in beautifully done paintings and the furnishing looked priceless. This house was way too fancy to be the location for a teenage party. The astonishing walls were pulsing with the loud music, and intoxicated teenagers crowded the rooms.

Rey looked over to see that see Poe and Finn staring at her.

"What?" Rey asked over the loud music.

"Uh, well, this is AWESOME!" Finn shouted.

Poe draped his arm over Rey's shoulder. "So glad we met you, little Rey"

"Guys let's dance!" Finn yelled over the music, and the three of them headed towards the mass of people swaying to the music.

Rey remembered how Ben Solo had asked her if she danced. She had said no, which was true. But now, Rey couldn't help but move to the music with Finn and Poe. They made her look like she was half decent at dancing. Poe slid his hand onto her waist and she moved to the music and him. They both kept breaking into fits of laughter at Finn's obscene dance moves, which made it incredibly hard for them to actually not look ridiculous.

After a handful of songs, Rey excused herself to grab something to drink. She wandered into the kitchen, and surpassed the alcoholic beverages to crack open a can of soda. Letting the cold carbonated drink fill her mouth, she swallowed and went to rejoin the boys. She was steps away from them when a large hand clasped itself to her upper arm. She turned to face the towering Ben Solo.

"I thought you said you didn't dance," he said coolly.

"I couldn't help myself," Rey responded, taking another swing of her soda.

The corner of Ben's mouth shifted upwards, and his eyes lazily trailed up and down Rey. She took this moment to also examine him. His all black outfit made him seem even taller. He was wearing a black crewcut long-sleeve, with black jeans and black combat boots. It made his skin seem even paler, but it suited him wonderfully. His hair looked just as it had before, tussled and luscious. Rey blushed, her own thoughts embarrassing her.

"You look…nice." Ben complimented, running his long fingers through his hair.

"So do you," Rey responded shyly, tilting from foot to foot.

"Are you having fun?" He asked her that deep voice of his.

"Yes, actually. Whoever owns this house must be extremely wealthy. It's incredible here."

Ben Solo smirked. "I guess so."

Rey quickly started a conversation about the weather that led into a conversation about the loud music, which led into another conversation centered on Ben's love for bands.

"Would you want to go to a concert with me sometime?" He asked, his eyes trained onto her.

Rey nodded, biting her bottom lip to keep from breaking into the goofiest of grins.

He kept watching her, his eyes shining mischievously when she got him.

"Do you want to go out back? I heard there's a pool."

Rey nodded, and Ben took her hand, leading her through the mass of people and towards the back of the house. Rey kept staring down at their hands intertwined, and a jolt of electricity went coursed through her. As they made their way outside, Rey couldn't help but notice the look of longing that appeared on girls faces as they watched Ben walk past them.

Ben Solo opened the glass door and they stepped on the stone patio. Rey looked in amazement at the backyard. There was a huge pool which was filled with kids splashing and having fun. Rey looked up to see lines of Christmas lights along the whole area of the backyard. Just like the house itself, the backyard was a scene out of a movie.

Ben led the guided them over to a section of the backyard that was covered in cushions that were centered near a fire pit. He let go of Rey and eased into one of the seats, patting the cushion next to him. Rey softly moved to sit next to him. The other people, as if silently told to, got up and left the area. It was just Ben and Rey.

Rey turned to face him. "Tell me more about yourself."

"There isn't much to know."

"Well, why can you be such a mysterious ass sometimes?" She asked sternly, crossing her hands casually over her chest.

Ben Solo laughed disbelievingly. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me. Earlier today I told you something very private about my life, which, by the way, I don't know why I did that, and you just sat there in silence. Then, you invite me to this party." Rey took a breath. "I don't understand."

He exhaled. "I'm not exactly good at being sympathetic."

Rey scoffed, turning to face the fire. "I didn't want pity."

"I'm sorry." He said, and Rey could tell that he meant it.

He reached out and lightly turned her head so that she face him again. "I don't care for a lot of people. Honestly, I'm not sure why anyone puts up with my 'teen angst' as my dearest mother calls it. When you told me all that stuff about you being a foster child, I didn't know what to say so I simply said nothing. Then I realized how much of a, well _ass,_ I was being, and I realized that I needed another chance to talk to you." He watched her face for a beat and then continued. "All of that being said, I'm starting to care for you, Rey."

She stared wide-eyed at him, disbelief clouding her head. "I-I don't understand."

"Neither do I," he said quietly. "I just met you, but I feel like I've known you my whole life. Or at least like I will know you for the rest of it."

Rey just stared at him, her eyes taking in every feature of his face and her eyes absorbing every word he was saying. She had no idea how to respond, how to tell him that she felt the same way.

Ben ran his fingers through his hair. "I'm replaying what I just said in my head, and I completely understand if you want to run away screaming."

Rey giggled quietly. "That's the opposite of what I want to do."

His full lips formed the most perfect smile Rey had ever seen.

Suddenly Rey felt extremely daring. She curled herself against Ben, and nestled her head onto his shoulder. Ben wrapped his arm around her like it was the most natural thing in the world.

They sat like that, watching the fire for a few minutes in silence.

Rey took note that Ben Solo smelled _incredible_. His sweater smelled like the burning wood and clean linens, a weird combination that worked so well on him.

"You, uh, smell really really good." Rey said, mostly to herself, but to her horror it was loud enough for him to hear.

She felt his chest move with silent laughter. "You're making me slightly self-conscious, Rey. I never curl up by a fire with a beautiful girl, and you seem to be examining me quite a bit. What's next? The texture of my hair?"

Rey reached up and ran her fingers through a lock of his hair. "It's very soft, I wouldn't be worried." She said with a huge grin.

He peered down at her. "I was kidding."

"I know," she replied, her smile growing bigger.

"You're something else."

She opened her mouth to respond when an extremely tall girl with a platinum blonde pixie cut started to sprint over to where they were sitting. She was shouting Ben's name on repeat.

"Phasma? What the hell?" Ben sat up, bewilderment in his words.

The girl stopped short in front of the fire, shooting Rey a quick glance before turning to Ben. "It's Hux. He just punched out two guys and there's a full on fight about to happen in the living room. You're the only one who can get him to stop."

Ben looked to Rey, then back to Phasma. "Come on."


	4. Two in One Night

Rey quickly realized that Ben Solo was _very_ fast. Maybe his long legs contributed to his speed, but he certainly was in great shape nonetheless. Rey jumped off the cushions to follow him toward house. She had no clue who Hux was, or Phasma for that matter. Rey couldn't help but notice the way Phasma looked at Ben and she selfishly worried if she would have to compete with that tall blonde beauty.

However, now was not the time for her to worry about that. Rey was right behind Ben and Phasma as they approached the scene of the fight, and Rey quickly realized why Phasma was so distraught.

A tall wiry redhead was throwing sloppy punches left and right, and Rey had to do a double take at his opponents. Two identical boys were on either side of him. The one clenched a bloody nose and the other frequently dabbed at the blood oozing from his lip. The redhead, who Rey believed to be Hux, was clearly enraged at the twins. Ben looked over at Rey.

"Stay here." He commanded before walking towards Hux.

Rey watched in horror as the intoxicated Hux threw a low punch towards Ben's abdomen. Ben easily blocked it, and moved to hold down Hux's arms before he could strike again.

"Who are those two boys?" Rey asked Phasma.

"The Klone brothers? Are you kidding? Haven't you ever been to a football game? Those two carry the whole damn team."

Rey admired the irony of the identical boys having the last name of 'Klone'. She however was not interested in explaining to Phasma that she was new to the school, so she simply shrugged in response and watched as Ben led Hux out of the room.

"Rey! There you are!" Finn shouted, moving to stand in front of Rey. "Poe I found her!"

Poe quickly appeared on the other side of Finn. "Where were you? We looked everywhere."

"I was, uh, off with Ben Solo." The two boys exchanged a look of concern between them. "Just talking." Rey added casually.

"Well you missed one hell of a fight!" Poe exclaimed, his eyes widening with excitement as he dived into telling the story. "The one twin, I'm not sure which, was all whispers and side-glances with the other. Then the lanky redhead joined the conversation and started screaming at those two dudes, and BAM!" Poe gestured a punch with his hands.

Finn laughed along with Poe, but Rey was too busy wondering where Ben went. She excused herself from the boys, who told her they were headed outside, and went over to Phasma.

"Would you happen to know where Ben went off to?" Rey asked lightly, trying not to seem too interested in his affairs.

It didn't fool Phasma. "Look you seem like a decent girl. Here's my word of advice, don't get involved with Ben Solo."

Rey was taken aback. "I thought you were friends with him."

"I am," Phasma hissed. "But that doesn't mean I agree with everything he does. Rey was it?" Rey nodded. "Listen Rey, Ben may seem all mysterious and charming, but he is completely fucked up."

Rey almost thought she was kidding. But Phasma's blue eyes were stone cold and Rey knew this was no laughing matter. "I-I'm not sure what to say."

"I am." Phasma snapped. "You need to get out of his life. You don't have the slightest clue who he is, and quite frankly I don't think you'd like him if did."

"Then tell me," Rey pleaded. She didn't want Phasma's words to cloud her judgment of Ben Solo.

The blonde girl chuckled. "I'm not your guardian angel. I gave you my words of warning, and now I don't give a damn. I helped. I no longer have to feel bad when this goes south." And with that she strutted away into the kitchen.

Rey stared after her. Every ounce of her body wanted Phasma's words to be untrue, that Ben Solo was actually the exact opposite, but Rey couldn't be stupid. She had sensed that something was off about Ben, even if she didn't have proof. However, Rey also considered the fact that Phasma could be messing with her. Rey knew less about Phasma then she knew about Ben, which wasn't a lot. Why should she trust her over him?

Rey stood contemplating her next move as the party continued to go on around her. Adolescents were stumbling about drunk, or silently humping in corners of the massive house. The music had taken a slower turn, and the make-shift dance floor was crowded with couples slowly bobbing to acoustic pieces instead of the previous dubstep. Rey checked her phone. Luke had texted her once, asking how it was going and what time she'd be home at. Rey quickly responded, saying she was having a blast (lie) and that'd she be home before her curfew of midnight.

Tucking her phone away, Rey weaved her way through the crowd on pursuit of the backyard. She stepped onto the patio and looked for Finn and Poe. She spotted them with their legs in the water, lightly splashing each other.

"Hey!" Rey called, moving to sit next to them on the poolside.

"Where's your boyfriend?" Finn asked Rey, making kissy faces at her.

"Shut up he's not my boyfriend! And I'm not sure." She replied, yawning lightly and resting her cheek on Finn's shoulder.

"Are you seriously tired?" Poe questioned, jabbing his finger at Rey's side. She giggled, shoving him away.

"It is pretty late," Finn replied for Rey, wrapping his free arm around her. "And the poor peanut is shivering!"

"Peanut?" Rey asked as all three of them erupted with laughter.

"Hey, it's a Friday night! And we are at an extremely cool party. Why are we acting like this isn't epic?" Poe asked, his voice sounded as if he was giving a locker-room pep talk.

"You're absolutely right!" Finn shouted in agreement. "Come on trio, let's go hit the dancefloor."

They stood up and jogged inside, fully prepared to shred up the dancefloor. Finn led the way, with Poe following and Rey bringing up the rear. As she stepped into the threshold, someone grabbed her wrist and jerked her to the sit. She yelped out in pain as she lost her footing and stumbled to the floor. The hands yanked her up and pushed her to the side as she locked eyes with her assaulter.

 _Hux_.

"What the hell-," Rey began, but was cut off when Hux threw the weight of his body at her.

Rey stumbled backwards and into Poe, who had turned around when Rey had fallen.

"Dude what's your problem?" He asked Hux, who was rolling up his shirt sleeves.

"That _bitch_ is the problem." Hux growled in response, advancing towards Poe and Rey while cracking his knuckles.

"Oh shit," Poe mumbled, moving Rey so that she was out of the way. "I'm warning you, if you want to fight me you'll end up on your ass."

A sizable group had gathered around the three of them by now, and shouts of excitement could be heard among the crowd. Phrases like 'kill 'em poe' and 'second of the night' were heard among the noise of the music in the other room. Rey looked frantically from Poe to Hux, as they slowly began to circle each other in the middle of the room. Finn broke through the inner layer of the crowd, and sprinted up to Rey.

"What the _hell_ is going on?"

"Uh. Well Hux tried to fight me, and then Poe stepped in." Rey quickly told him, turning her attention back to Poe and Hux.

"Shit," Finn gulped, and moved to stand with Poe against Hux.

"Two against one? Finally, a challenge." Hux snorted, rolling his neck.

"Hey asshole, if it makes you feel any better you're definitely a shoo-in for being the biggest idiot at this party." Finn jested, smiling confidently at Hux.

Hux lunged forward, punching Finn directly in the nose. Finn's head snapped back on impact, and blood slowly started to drip out of the wounded area. Poe moved to send a forceful punch into Hux's stomach, which caused Hux to double forward and onto his knees. Thinking it was over, Poe turned and started walking away. Hux jumped to his feet and spun Poe around, cracking him right in the eye. Rey screamed from the side and moved forward to catch Poe as his knees weakened underneath him. Hux laughed triumphantly and Rey lost it. She turned on her heels and wailed Hux across the face with her fist. He completely collapsed to the ground. All around her people were cheering.

She swallowed and looked down at her fist, which was bright red and pounding. When she looked back up she saw that Ben had just come through the crowd-and he was staring right at her.

( **Author's Note: Thank you all so so so much for reading! I'll probably be updating this every 1-3 days depending on how busy I am! Feel free to message me if you have an questions or concerns! I hope everyone is enjoying this little Reylo high school AU! (Don't worry it'll get super romantic soon ;) Thanks again for reading!)**


	5. Feisty

Ben Solo's mouth had taken an "O" shape.

Immediately after discovering Ben watching her, Rey had been swarmed with people coming up and patting her on the back, calling her a badass. She took this compliments with gratitude, but the only person she wanted to talk to was lost amongst the crowd.

Finn and Poe came up to Rey and hugged her tightly. They were both very giddy and clearly not concerned about the fact that they were just in a fight.

"Rey, you can seriously kickass!" Finn yelled over the newly amplified music coming through the other room.

Rey blushed, rubbing her palms together. "I do a bit of push-ups."

"I knew you were physically fit, but damn Rey that was one hell of a punch." Poe said, reaching forward to tussle the hair on top of Rey's head. "I'm proud of you, peanut."

The three of them laughed, and Poe mentioned scavenging for some ice packs from him and Finn. From the corner of her eye Rey saw Phasma lift up the limp Hux from the floor. Thinking that wherever Phasma would go Ben would be, Rey excused herself and followed the tall blonde.

Phasma made a sharp right, and Rey realized that she was headed for the stairs. Phasma took them two-at-a-time and was quickly on the second floor of the mansion, Hux still in her arms. Rey waited a beat, and moved to climb the staircase herself. Once she reached the landing, Rey pulled out her phone and checked the time. It was very late, she realized with a scare. Luke was most definitely wondering where she was, or at least when she was coming home. Rey knew she had to make this quick.

"Phasma!" Rey called out.

Phasma, who was halfway down the hallway whipped around, anger written all over her face. "What are _you_ doing up here?"

"Looking for Ben," Rey responded, shoving her hands into the pockets of her dress.

Phasma snorted. "Oh God, you really don't listen to advice do you? Well, if you want to ruin your life then go through that door." Phasma pointed her head in the direction of a matte black door.

"Thanks," Rey said. "Is he okay?" She asked shyly, nudging her chin towards Hux.

Phasma looked at the passed out Hux who was draped over her shoulder. "Like you care."

"I-I didn't mean to hurt him," Rey explained. "I just wanted him to stop."

Phasma let out a bitter laugh. "You didn't mean to hurt him? Oh, of course, because that's what everyone says when they forcefully punch the shit out of someone. You ignorant bitch."

Rey considered defending herself, but instead closed her mouth and walked away towards the door. She saw Phasma walk into what seemed like a bathroom and shut the door. Rey stared at the matte black paint that she faced, and debated whether or not she should knock. Deciding it'd be best, she raised her fist and tapped lightly at the door.

She heard his voice through the door, "Phasma? Come in."

Rey swallowed. She didn't know if she should announce herself or not. Again Ben called out for her, well Phasmsa, to come in and Rey opened the door. His back was turned, and Rey took in the sight of his figure. The way his hair curled up at the back of his neck while still leaving a sliver of skin exposed before the neckline of his shirt began. His long arms were clasped behind him, and it made the muscles in his back become more prominent through his shirt. He had broad shoulders and a narrow waist, and Rey longed to place her hands upon it.

"I need to find Rey. It's my fault Hux wandered downstairs looking for her. I shouldn't have told him those things-that was foolish. I chose the wrong moment to tell him that I wanted out. It made him erupt." Ben said, his voice tense and desperate. "On the other hand, she's quite feisty. I think her punching Hux was the highlight of my life." He revealed with a low laugh.

Rey could feel her face redden. "Uh, Ben…"

She watched his body tense up as he slowly spun around.

"Oh. Shit." He mumbled as his own face turned a soft pink.

Rey laughed. "Don't be embarrassed, I'm flattered."

He ran his fingers through his hair, his gaze was kept low to the floor. "I've only met you today and already I'm professed my feelings for you and the fact that I think you're 'feisty'." He raised his gaze slightly. "I really should read a book or something on how to properly converse with beautiful girls."

Rey smiled warmly and stepped towards him. Extending her hand out, Rey lightly grasped his chin and tilted his face until his eyes were on her.

"For the record, I like this Ben Solo."

His eyes widened slightly, their wonderful mixture of brown seemed to glow at her words. They stood like that for a while, Rey's hand on his jawline and Ben staring down at her like he might die if he looked away.

"How's your hand?" Ben asked, trying to look at the hand that was placed on his face.

She glanced at it too. The throbbing had subsided but it still hurt. "It'll be fine."

He raised his own hand and grasped hers. Slowly he raised her knuckles to his lips, and pressed a tender kiss on each one. Rey gasped, her eyes frantically searched his face as a smile crept across it. She craved more. For his lips to graze her shoulders, neck, face. Lips. She closed her eyes, imaging his full lips pressed against her own.

Suddenly the thought of Luke flashed in Rey's mind. She pulled away, frantically checking the time on her phone. The clock showed midnight, and Rey cursed under her breath.

"Is something wrong?" Ben asked, concern lacing his words. His brows were furrowed as he peered down at Rey.

"It's not you!" Rey assured him once she saw his face. "It's my foster father. I have to find Finn and Poe and get home."

Rey looked around the room for the first time. It was a sort of library, which shelves lining the walls and armchairs placed in the corners. Books upon books filled the room, and Rey wished she could stay here with the endless words and Ben Solo forever.

Unfortunately, she knew she couldn't unless she wanted to get sent back to the group foster home for disobeying Luke.

Ben looked disappointed but he nodded, taking Rey's hand and guiding her downstairs. It was less crowded now, and Rey spotted Finn and Poe easily. The boys looked shocked to see Rey with Ben, but once Rey told them that she had to go they quickly understood and went to start the car.

Once they disappeared out the front door, Rey was left alone with Ben.

"I could have driven you home," he stated, his voice deep and alluring.

Rey opened the door and began to step outside. "I have a ride. But thanks. I guess you'll have to take me for a ride another time."

He smiled. "I guess so."

Rey was walking backwards down the front lawn of the house, her eyes still locked on Ben Solo. "See you Monday?"

"Monday." He called out to her, his smile so happy that Rey could have sworn she saw teeth.

The boys pulled into her driveway and Rey hopped out, thanking them for the ride.

"I hope he doesn't kill you!" Finn shouted out the window.

"Me too!" Poe yelled in agreement.

Rey rolled her eyes at them and unlocked the front door. She slid inside and walked into the living room where she saw a sleeping Luke on the couch with BB-8 curled up on his side. Rey smiled and decided to let him sleep, as she turned off the lights and tiptoed upstairs.


	6. You Sort of Smell, Rey

Rey hummed along to the vinyl record that was playing as she methodically brushed her hair. The record player that Luke had put in her room was an ungodly yellow, but Rey loved it all the same. A dull buzz sounded from the player as the arm lazily looped around the end of the album. Rey rose from her position on her chair and moved to flip over the record. She lifted the arm off of the vinyl, and flipped it over, repositioning the arm over her favorite John William's soundtrack album.

Rey dug inside her jean pocket for her phone. She illuminated the screen, and exhaled in disappointment. Although she knew that she had never given Ben Solo her cell phone number, a small part of her hoped that he would have found a way to contact her. She hadn't heard from him since the party on Friday night. Rey knew it was only Sunday morning, and that she would see him at school the next day, but she still wanted the satisfaction of knowing he was thinking about her as much as she was about him.

Finn and Poe had helped to ease her mind off of Ben Solo when she saw them on Saturday. Luke had insisted on meeting her friends, so Rey had invited them over for a causal game night-pizza included due to Finn's demand. Everyone got along extremely well, and Rey was happily surprised when Poe revealed that Luke was one of his teachers the previous year. When the boys left that night Rey had an overpowering feeling of family-something she hadn't felt in a long time.

Now, Rey was trying to think of a way to pass the time. BB-8 was asleep on her bed, which only made Rey want to join in. She contemplated this for a few moments, and then huffed and decided to go for a run instead. Rey had heard on the school announcements that they were having lacrosse tryouts next week, and Rey wanted to give it a go.

Rey changed into running shorts and a magenta active top. She patted BB-8 softly on the head before heading out of her room. She tied her hair into a ponytail as she padded down the staircase and slipped her sneakers onto her feet at the door. Rey called out to Luke that she was going on a run, and went out the door. The soft morning sun was pinned on her as she did some brief stretching. She started at a brisk jog down the road.

Rey wasn't exactly sure where she was headed. She knew that Luke lived close to the best part of town, the little Main street where everyone hung out all the time, but she wasn't sure if she felt like being seen by her classmates in her sweaty and unpresentable state. Against a gut feeling that she shouldn't venture onto Main Street, Rey made a quick turn and started down the long strip of street that was covered with small businesses and little groups of people walking about.

She jogged briskly on the side of the narrow road in the center of the bubbling street. The shops on either side of the street were busy, and Rey recognized a few nameless faces from school.

As she approached the end of the road, Rey noticed a small little store wedged in-between two restaurants. It had an all stone façade with a large glass door. The sign with the store name appeared to be in another language, and Rey couldn't help but stop her momentum to advance upon it.

As she walked up to it, Rey peered through the glass. Inside, she saw that it was lined with antiques. Her mouth dropped at their vast variety. From vases to paintings, Rey longed to go inside. She hurriedly wiped the sweat from her forehead and went inside.

As soon as she closed the door behind her, she gasped at the beauty inside the store. The glass fixtures alone took her breath away, but the figurines lining the walls made Rey absentmindedly extended her fingers out to grasp one.

"Hello?" She called out inside the store. She became increasing aware that there wasn't anyone behind the counter, and that the store may be empty.

"Anyone here?" She called out again, slowly backing away towards the door.

Silence. Rey moved to open up the door when she heard a distant voice from the back of the store.

"Sorry!" The voice shouted, increasingly getting louder. Rey spun around.

They saw each other at the same time. Rey couldn't help but let her eyes flare up with happiness as she saw him stop dead in his tracks. He had on dark jeans and a black V-neck despite the heat, and his hair was lazily tussled so it fell in front of his eyes. A small smile formed on his lips as he took her in, examining her workout outfit and sweaty body.

"Rey," Ben Solo breathed coolly, running his large hand through his dark hair. ". .What brings you to my humble weekend job?"

Rey rolled her eyes at his sad excuse of trying to act cool. "I was out on a run. The antiques drew me in."

He nodded, smirking at her. "I can see that." He winked at her. "Nice outfit, Rey."

Rey could feel her face heat up, but she rolled her eyes to play it off. "I like this place, Ben." She walked up to him, placing her hand inside of his. "I'm embarrassed to say I missed you a lot."

"Don't be. I missed you too." Ben said, his voice low.

Rey smiled up at him, and he returned the expression. Rey debated resting her head on his shoulder, but stopped when his nose crinkled at her.

"Uh, Rey? You sort of smell. It's a bit off putting." He delivered this with a grin, and Rey couldn't help but laugh. It was true, she reeked.

She stepped back, twirling around in front of him. "Let my stink fill the room!"

"You're ridiculous," he said through closed eyes, his hands jokingly covering his eyes and nose.

Rey stopped, erupting in a fit of giggles. "I really should go."

"I'll let you leave, if you promise me something." Ben bargained, leaning against a shelf.

Rey arched her eyebrows at him. "Is that so? Alright what is it."

"God I love your voice." Ben mumbled, mostly to himself but Rey heard it too. "Meet me in front of this shop at seven tonight. I want to take you on a date."

AUTHOR'S NOTE!

IM SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SORRY THAT IT TOOK ME THIS LONG TO UPLOAD ANOTHER CHAPTER! MY LIFE HAS BEEN CRAZY BUSY! I hope this chapter will suffice!


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